Snow clearing apparatus for railroad switchyards



A. E. PYKE 3,034,236

SNOW CLEARING APPARATUS FOR RAILROAD SWITCHYARDS May 15, 1962 FiledApril 1, 1960 INVENTOR'.

A.E. PYKE AGENT.

United States Patent 3,034,236 SNOW CLEARING APPARATUS FQR RAILRGADSWITCHYARDS Albert Edward Pyke, 269 Manse Road, Scarborough, Ontario,Canada Filed Apr. 1, 1%0, Ser. No. 19,254 Ciairns. (Cl. 3725) Theinvention relates to apparatus for clearing snow from relatively complexsections of railroad track, for example, cros-overs, switch points andthe like. Under severe weather conditions such complex portions of trackrequire more or less constant maintenance to prevent them from becomingclogged with snow or ice, rendering the same more or less inoperative.

Such snow clearing apparatus as has been available hereto-fore is,generally speaking, adequate for clearing relatively deep snow, and alsofor clearing straight or socalled tangent track. Conversely, however,such equipment has not always been capable of clearing the more complexsections of track, as for example, are met with in railway switchyards,and indeed in many cases, such operations have been performed by manuallabour.

Many of the difliculties associated with this particular problem arisefrom the relative complexity of the track, and the vital necessity forclearing snow and ice from the various recesses and crevices formedthereby in order to free the same for movement.

Accordingly, it is a general objective of the invention to provide snowclearing apparatus adapted for clearing snow out of recesses or crevicesor the like in an expedient and efiicient manner, and which is botheconomical to make and relatively simple and economical to operate. Morespecifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such apparatuswhich is adapted for mounting on a vehicle.

Still more specifically, it is an object of the invention to provideapparatus having the aforementioned advantages in which the snowclearing apparatus is operable to pick up the snow lying on the road bedtravelled by such vehicle and to throw it forwardly of the vehicle andto clear such thrown snow to one side of the road bed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such apparatus whichis particularly adapted and suitable for operation in railway switchyards and the like.

The invention seeks to provide the foregoing and other advantages whichwill appear from the following description of the preferred embodimentof the invention by the provision of snow clearing apparatus for use ona vehicle, consisting basically of a sweeping element for throwing snowforwardly of such vehicle, and a disposal device for receiving such snowand disposing of it to one side of the vehicle.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to the following drawings, in which like reference devicesrefer to like parts of the apparatus throughout the various views anddiagrams, and in which,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view partly in section showing a snowclearing vehicle, fitted with the snow clearing apparatus according tothe invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the snow clearing apparatusshown in FIGURE 1, showing part of the vehicle to which it is attached,for clarity,

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a detail of the sweeping element of theinstant snow clearing apparatus showing the same in three successivepositions during operation, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section of the snow clearing apparatus inisolation along the line IVIV of FIGURE 1.

Before describing the snow clearing apparatus of this preferredembodiment, a brief description will be given of the snow clearingvehicle, although it will be appreciated, that the invention is not tobe considered as limited to use in conjunction with this particularvehicle which is here described for illustrative purposes only.

' Accordingly, from FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be seen that the snowclearing vehicle V consists of a frame 10 mounted on wheels 12, adaptingthe same for use on railroad tracks T, motive power being suppliedthereto by an engine and drive mechanism (not shown) driving wheels 12in known manner. Such vehicle V may also be provided with a cab C at theforward end thereof, and may optionally be provided with furtherconventional accessories, for example, sand boxes (not shown) may beprovided adjacent wheels 12 for use in the elimination of slipping orskidding in bad weather.

Dealing now with the snow clearing apparatus of this preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be seen that this is comprised ofthe sweeping element 14 supported for rotation by arms 16 and 16 anddriven by sprocket 18, keyed to shaft 20 thereof, which is, in turn,connected to sprocket 22 by means of chain 24, sprocket 22 in turn beingdriven by shaft 26, sprocket 28, chain 30 and sprocket 32 connecting thesame to engine E situated towards the rear of vehicle V.

Sweeping element 14 will be seen to consist of the drum 34 mounted onshaft 20, journalled at 36-36 in arms 16 as aforesaid. In order to beatand break up and dislodge snow and ice which may have become compacted,and to reach into recesses or crevices, flails 38 are individuallyattached to drum 34, and extend therefrom more or less radially in fourequally spaced columns. It will be seen that flails 38 are spaced apartfrom one another in any one column, and that each said flail 38 in anyone column is offset relative to its neighbour in that column by more orless equal angles. It is note-' worthy that flails 38 are of relativelysubstantial length and weight so as to be able to strike the snow andice with suflicient force to shatter and dislodge it, and to be able tothrow it forwardly of the machine. However, it is important that flails38 should be relatively flexible, at least for part of their length, soas to be able to pass over or around the railroad tracks T themselves,and other components making up the complete road bed R (see FIGURE 3)with a whip-like cleaning motion and Without substantially damaging anypart thereof, or themselves, though obviously more or less wear willoccur in use. However, any such wear, or even breakage, of flails 38 canbe easily repaired, flai-ls 38 being readily detachable from drum 3'4individually, for replacement.

In order to adjust the height of sweeping element 14 in relation to theroad bed R or other surface which is being cleared by the instantapparatus, arms 16 are swingably attached to frame 16' of vehicle V atjournals 40, rendering sweeping element 14 swingable between upper andlower positions. Any suitable means may be provided for raising andlowering sweeping element 14 for example, the hydraulic lift 42swingably attached to frame 10 and to cross bar 44 extending betweenarms 16.

In order to lock sweeping element 14 at any desired elevation, ahydraulic lock (not shown) may be associated with hydraulic lift 42 forthe purpose, in known manner.

In order to receive and to dispose of snow and ice thrown forwardly andupwardly by sweeping element 14 disposal device 46 is provided, locatedforwardly of sweeping element 14 in receiving relation thereto andsupported in such location by bars 43.

Disposal device 46 will be seen to consist of a catcher 50 of rathermore than semicircular section extending the full width of sweepingelement 14 and fastened to bars 48, and to bumper 52 providedtherebet-ween forwardly of catcher 50. The open side of catcher 50provides an open mouth 54, the lower edge of which is defined by lip 56extending therealong, and which is oriented to receive snow and icethrown forwardly and upwardly by fiails 38. Catcher-50 is extendedrearwardly over sweeping element 14 providing a hood 58 enclosing thesame for about onethird of its circumference and preventing the escapeof extraneous matter upwardly therefrom. In order to dispose of snow andice received by catcher 50 from sweeping element 14, a rotary screwconveyor 66 is provided within catcher St} for pushing said snow and iceaxially therealong, being mounted on spindle 62 running in journals 64on bars 48, and driven by sprocket 66, chain 68 and sprocket 7G fastenedto shaft 20.

In order to carry the snow and ice received by catcher 59 well clear ofthe road bed R which is being cleared, catcher Si? is provided with acylindrical extension forming a spout 72 extending beyond the width ofsweeping element 14, and it will be seen that conveyor do in factextends into spout 72 for pushing said snow from catcher 5G and intospout 72 with sufiicient force to eject the same therefrom throughopening 74.

In order to adjust the height of disposal device 46 in relation tosweeping element 1d, bars as are mounted for swinging about shaft 2t} ofsweeping element 24, and may be adjustably fixed in any desired positionby suitable adjustment of chains 76 fastened to upright posts 78 locatedoni-bars 48 and extending therefrom to slotted holes 80 in crossbar 44.

In operation vehicle V may be set in motion, which, generally speaking,will be relatively slow, though obviouslydepending upon the particularcircumstances of operation. At the same time sweeping element f imsyalso be set inv motion, its direction of rotation being counter to thedirection of motion of vehicle V, and by operation of hydraulic lift 42its height may be set so that ilails 38 are just contacting the road bedR along which vehicle V is travelling, though preferably such contactshould only occur at the tips of flails 38 in order to avoid wear onthese members, and also loss of power. Rotation of sweeping element 14will also cause rotation of spiral pusher or conveyor 69 located in snowdisposal device 46, through sprocket 7%, chain 68 and sprocket 66.

As sweeping element 14 rotates, flails 38 will apply continuous blows tosnow and ice located on the road bed breaking up and dislodging the sameand will thereafter throw the same forwardly of vehicle V and into themouth 54 of catcher 50. It is here noteworthy that, by operation ofsweeping element 14 in a direction counter to the direction of movementof vehicle V flails 33 are caused to strike the snow and ice on road bedR in a generally forward and upward direction causing the same to bethrown r impelled forwardly of the vehicle V. By adopting this mode ofoperation, it will be seen, that any snowor ice which does not reachcatcher 5t; and falls onto the road bed R oncemore will still be infront of sweeping element 14, and will be brushed or swept therebycontinually until the'same is held by catcher 50. Under certainoperating conditions, this particular feature of the apparatus hascaused a wall of snow to build up between lip 56 of catcher 5d and thesnow lying on the road bed R in the path of sweeping element 14, therebypreventing the escape of Snow forwardly of catcher 50 and guiding thesame into the open mouth 54 thereof. While operating in this mannerflails 38 mayin fact be deflected to a greater or lesser extent'bycontact with the snow or ice, more or less in the manner indicated inFIG. 2 thereby applying substantial blows thereto on impact andthereafter applying a brushing action upwardly and-forwardly of vehicleV in the direction of disposal device 46.

When a complex section of track is encountered, and,

track T1, for example, but such deflection will be only momentary. andwill. not substantially inhibit the scavenging action of flails 38 oneither side thereof as is shown in FIGURE 3. It will be understood thattrack T1, in this illustration is oblique to the axis of rotation ofdrum 3% and shaft 20, running diagonally across the path of vehicle V,and forms crevices or declivities at the intersection thereof with thetracks T upon which vehicle V is running. enabled to reach into suchcrevices and clear the snow and ice therefrom, freeing such section oftrack for switching for example.

Gnce in catcher 50 snow andice is pushed axially therealong towardsspout 72 by the rotation of spiral conveyordfi, being finally ejectedthrough opening 74 in spout 72 alongside the road bed R, and at somedistance therefrom. It is. to be observed that'in order to avoidblock-ages occurring in disposal device ail-spiral conveyor 66 shouldbeso designed and driven as to operate at only about half capacity, thatis to say, with snow. extending therearound for only approximatelythereof.

- Where desirable, disposal device 4drnay be relocatedwith respect tosweeping element 14 by merely raising both sweeping element 14 anddisposal device 46, by operation of hydraulic lift 42, placing blocks(not shown) under disposal device 46 and-lowering sweeping element 14once more, after which chains 76 may be either shortened or lengthenedand refastened in slotted holes 80. The positioning of the instant snowclearing equipment ahead of vehicle V and of all track engaging means,such as wheels 12, as illustrated throughout the drawing is not only tofacilitate its adjustability as aforesaid but especially also to enhanceits eificiency in use on the short complex track sections found in therailroad switch yards for which it was designed as well as in many otherand more obvious respects.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention ishere made by way of example only, and it is not thought thattheinvention is limited to the specific construction illustrated otherthan as specified in the appended claims which are intended to includeall modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is: I

1. Apparatus for clearing snow from the roadbed and about the rails ofcomplex railroad track having switches and other complex sectionscomprising a vehicle; having track engaging means on which it istransportable along said track in at least one forward direction; anelongated sweeping element; structure projecting forwardly from saidvehicle overhanging said track and supporting said sweeping elementsubstantially over and transversely of said railroad track in front ofsaid vehicle and of said trackv engaging means; means for operating saidsweeping element to dislodge said snow and to throw it forwardly andupwardly, and a disposal device located above said rails to catch snowthrown by said sweeping element and to deposit it along and atone side,at least, of said railroad track said sweeping element being composed,in part, of flexible fiails arranged in at least one row dimensioned anddisposed to reach each said rail and each side of each said rail of saidcomplex track sections and the road-bed therebetween when the sweepingelement is operated as aforesaid, without interference from said complextrack sections.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including means for adjusting theheightof said sweeping element relative to said road bed and track.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said sweeping elementincludes a drum rotatably mounted in a substantially horizontal plane;the said fiails being attached thereto and spaced apart'from oneanother, and extending radially therefrom in equidistant columns.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including a catcher forming partof said disposal device and a pusher By this action aforesaid, flails 38are thusoperable within said catcher to propel said snow axiallytherealong towards and out of one end thereof.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including means for adjusting theheight of said disposed device in relation to said sweeping element. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCailyer Sept. 22, 1903 Purdin Oct. 3, 1916 10 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,034,236 May 15, 1962Albert Edward Pyke It is hereby certified that error appears in theabove numbered patent requiring correction and that the said LettersPatent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 47, after "vehicle" strike out the sent-colon; line 59after "track" insert a semi-colon; column 5, llne 4, for "disposed" readdisposal Signed and sealed this 11th day of September 1962,,

(SEAL) Atteat:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

